On May 17th 2004, history was made. In the state of Massachusetts, gay couples were allowed the right to marry. Some people feared the end of the world; erupting chaos, society would crumble. Today, on the anniversary of the first legal marriage licenses issued, it is important to reflect on this milestone.
Three years have passed. We are still waging war. The war in Iraq is now estimated to reach in the trillions- trillions- of dollars. 3397 Americans have been killed with three soldiers currently missing; the ominous tick to 3400 is too close for those families to bear. It's no longer a new kind of war where bombs are strapped onto people, cars are packed with small munitions and traditional military practices are completely ineffective. It has become numbingly familiar on the nightly news.
Under-employment is a fact of life while cries to cut deeper into public assistance continues to be sounded by the Republicans in Congress. Public education continues to slip on the national priorities list with more tests required, fewer dollars allotted, and No Child Left Behind beyond a bad joke. Real children are living real consequences of an education system where dollars are spent trying to prove failed policy. Our president has stated coal is a clean source of energy and the right to drill the wilderness in Alaska is progress. Our dependence on oil seems to be the only thing we will pass on to future generations. In the meantime, Mr. Bush and his family quietly hold hands with a Saudi Prince, whose family money funds Islamic Fundamentalist Schools where anti-American sentiment is planted and nurtured.
And in Massachusetts all people have the right to marry.
Massachusetts extending marriage rights is a first step. It is important for people of conscience to take a moment and recognize what we have accomplished: to dance, to smile for pictures, to celebrate with family and friends. And to remember what happens when you have an impossible dream and refuse to believe it cannot be done.
Thank you GLAD, Mary Bonauto, Hillary and Julie Goodridge, David Wilson and Robert Compton, Gloria Bailey and Linda Davies, Gary Chalmers and Rich Linnell, Heidi and Gina Nortonsmith, Maureen Brodoff and Ellen Wade, and Mike Horgan and Ed Balmelli for being courageous and dedicated. When they began the journey, no one believed it could happen. They stepped up with empty plates and asked for more.
Demanded more.
Take a moment today to remember their efforts long before the flurry of the final decision. Imagine plates filled with dreams of peace, of equality, of fairness, and of justice.
Refuse to believe it cannot be done.